A Bank of America is checking into the corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

Interior storefront renovations are underway at 119 Second Ave. (aka 45 E. Seventh St.) ...

According to work permits on the front window, Bank of America will be the new (and first) tenant of this newish condominium complex ... (H/T Adam!)

This branch arrival comes at a time when banks are reportedly closing neighborhood locations. (Plus, there's a BoA branch three blocks south on Second Avenue and Fourth Street.)

The corner building was ready for occupancy in mid-2021... six years after the deadly gas explosion destroyed this corner in March 2015 and took the lives of Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón. 

Figueroa, 23, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón, 27, worked at Sushi Park.

The explosion injured over 20 others and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. 

The previous corner building housed vintage shop Love Saves the Day for 43 years... closing in January 2009 after their rent was tripled. (Their location remains open in New Hope, Pa.)

Previously

The 2nd Avenue gas explosion — 8 years later

Yesterday marked the eighth anniversary of the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion.

Yesterday was about remembering the victims. Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón died on March 26, 2015. Figueroa, 23, who had recently graduated from SUNY Buffalo State, was at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place and the site of the fatal blast, dining with a co-worker. Locón, 27, worked at Sushi Park.

The explosion injured over 20 others and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. A condominium complex at 45 E. Seventh St. (above) sits on two of these three lots.

Here's some background about what was happened to date.

In November 2019, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, who took over ownership of the buildings after her husband Michael died in 2004, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis were found guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and related offenses for their role in the explosion.

Prosecutors said that Hrynenko, driven by greed, and her cohorts rigged an illegal system to funnel gas from 119 Second Ave. to 121 Second Ave. to save money.

In January 2020, they were each sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Hrynenko remained out on bail for two more years as she awaited an appeal of the case. 

During the sentencing, where defendants faced a maximum of five to 15 years each, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus told the courtroom, "What the defendants did, in a matter of speaking, was roll the dice with the lives of many people. The results, as we know, are catastrophic."

However, Obus said he gave the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and "did not intend to blow up the building." 

"It's not enough. It’s a joke," Nixon Figueroa, father of Nicholas, told reporters afterward. "What kind of justice did you give us? You didn't give us no justice. It's a slap in my son’s face."

As of February 2022, Hrynenko, 63, has been at the Taconic Correctional Facility in Bedford, N.Y. According to public records, she is eligible for parole in November 2025. Her conditional release date is November 2029, and the maximum date is November 2033.  

Kukic, 47, has been at the Wallkill Correctional Facility since his sentencing in early 2020. He is eligible for parole in January. Ioannidis, 66, who's at the Adirondack Correctional Facility in Essex County, N.Y., is also eligible for parole in January.

Michael A. Hrynenko, Jr., Maria's son and a key figure in the gas explosion investigation, died on Aug. 25, 2017. He was 31, according to an obituary posted on the Pizzi Funeral Home website. A cause of death was not disclosed.

Remembering Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón

Today marks the eighth anniversary of the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion, which killed two men, injured two dozen people, and leveled three buildings (119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.).

There is a memorial plaque on site for the two men who died that day — Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón.

Officials dedicated this plaque in May 2021. The Village Preservation advocated for its placement here on the new residential building at 45 E. Seventh St. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa 

• RIP Moises Locón 

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Remembering Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón

Today marks the seventh anniversary of the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion, killing two men and leveling three buildings (119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.).

There is a memorial plaque for the two men who died that day — Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón.

Officials dedicated this plaque last May. The Village Preservation advocated for its placement here on the new residential building at 45 E. Seventh St. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa 

• RIP Moises Locón 

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Friday's parting shot

Today marks the sixth anniversary of the deadly gas explosion on the northwest corner of Second Avenue at Seventh Street. 

Remembering the two men who died that day, March 26, 2015: 

• Nicholas Figueroa 

• Moises Locón 

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Workers removing the sidewalk bridge from around the explosion site condoplex

Workers this morning are removing the sidewalk bridge from around 45 E. Seventh St., the 7-story, 21-unit condoplex on the northwest corner of Second Avenue...

In recent years, this corner has been a gathering spot in the summer-fall for travelers/crusties. In October 2018 (pre-sidewalk bridge), for instance, the NYPD set up a light tower here to deter anyone from congregating and camping out.

People have been living under here in recent months as well, capturing the ire of the Post.

As noted previously, this condoplex is on two of the three lots destroyed during the deadly gas explosion here on March 26, 2015. 

Thanks to Steven for the photos... and thanks to Alex R. for the tip!

Updated 5:30 p.m.

Sales launch for condos at site of deadly 2nd Avenue explosion

Sales are now underway at 45 E. Seventh St., the 7-story, 21-unit condoplex on the northwest corner of Second Avenue — the site of the deadly gas explosion on March 26, 2015 that leveled three buildings, 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.

Here are details about the Morris Adjmi-designed building — dubbed No45e7 — and units via Real Estate Weekly, who first reported on the sales:

Each unit has oversized windows, high-efficiency central VRF heating and cooling and is pre-wired for smart home features including shades, lighting, sound and intercom.

The building offers a common roof terrace, fitness center, landscaped garden terrace, residents’ laundry room, private storage rooms and bicycle storage. Carson, a virtual doorman, tracks deliveries, service requests, intercom calls, and visitors while providing live HD video of each entry and a payment system to compliment the staffed doorman, all through an app.

Prices will range from approximately $1.35 million for one-bedroom, $1.995 million to $4 million for two- and three-bedrooms, going up to $8.3 million for the penthouse.

There will also be ground-floor retail.

And a few images...





In response to launching sales during the pandemic, in which apartment sales in Manhattan have hit their lowest point in nearly 20 years, a spokesperson for the developer, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group, told Real Estate Weekly: "While many developers may be hesitant to launch during the current pandemic, Nexus Development is confident of the market recovery and that their product offers the exact level of safety, space and comfort to give buyers confidence in a post-COVID world."

As for some history here: In the spring of 2017, Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and No. 121 that landlord Maria Hrynenko owned.

In a previously recorded transaction, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. that was owned by a different landlord who had no role in the explosion. There isn't any development planned there for now, according to previous reports.

In January, Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis were found guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the blast. They were each sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Hrynenko is out on bail as she awaits an appeal of the case.

Hrynenko, who took over ownership of the buildings after her husband Michael died in 2004, and her cohorts rigged an illegal system to funnel gas from 119 Second Ave. to 121 Second Ave. to cut corners, according to prosecutors.

The property will include a commemorative plaque that honors the two men who died here on March 26, 2015: Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón. In October 2017, city officials unveiled new street blades that co-name the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street after the two men.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• [Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street

• How displaced residents are faring after the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Moving on — and feeling lucky — after the 2nd Avenue explosion

• Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Explosion site condoplex shapes up

Here's a look from yesterday at 45 E. Seventh St. at Second Avenue, where work on the explosion site condoplex continues (the job is in the approved category at the Essential Active Construction Site).

One noticeable addition: the bracing for the perforated cornice parapet ...



... that was so prominent in the rendering...


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

As noted previously, this high-profile project is on two of the three lots destroyed during the deadly gas explosion here on March 26, 2015.

The Morris Adjmi-designed building will include 21 condo units as well as ground-floor retail. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms. The Tavivian Team from Douglas Elliman will be responsible for the sales.

You can find all the background about this project and its history at this link.

A message from Nixon Figueroa and Ana Lanza, Nicholas Figueroa's parents

On March 26, 2015, Nicholas Figueroa was having a late lunch with a friend at Sushi Park, 121 Second Ave., when an explosion rocked the building. The blast killed Figueroa and Sushi Park employee Moises Locón, 27, injured more than 20 others, and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.

He was a December 2014 graduate of SUNY Buffalo State with a degree in criminal justice. He was 23.

His parents, Nixon Figueroa and Ana Lanza, shared this message on the fifth anniversary of his death:

Now it has been five years since we lost our son.

We would like to thank everyone who has been so supportive, especially family and friends who help us to cope with our grief.

Our son was so full of life. All he wanted was to help people in all the ways he could, particularly by listening and being there for them. He would go out of his way to help a friend. It didn't matter what time it was. If you needed someone to talk to, he would be there.

His absence leaves an empty space because he was a motivator. He had a big heart for people and for life. He was smart and you could talk to him about anything. He was such a good listener. His soul is irreplaceable because he showed us there is more to life. He saw good in everyone and wanted to help.

If he were alive today, he would tell people to love life to the fullest. Enjoy every moment. Life is too short. He knew that, and that's why he was so full of life. He would tell us to take this time and be very grateful for your family and friends. And for all that you have.

Read more about Nicholas here.

Thank you to EVG reader Daniel.

Updated 8 p.m.

Late today, Mr. Figueroa visited Second Avenue and Seventh Street and placed flowers on the corner ...

Today marks the 5th anniversary of the deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion

[Google Streetview from 2013]

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the gas explosion that killed two men, injured more than 20 others, and leveled 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave.

The links below have more about what has transpired here in the past five years as well as details about the lives of the two men who died that day — Nicholas Figueroa, 23, and Moises Locón, 27.

In January, landlord Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis were found guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the blast. They were each sentenced to four to 12 years in prison. Hrynenko is out on bail as she awaits an appeal of the case. The other two remain in prison.

Hrynenko, who took over ownership of the buildings after her husband Michael died in 2004, and her cohorts rigged an illegal system to funnel gas from 119 Second Ave. to 121 Second Ave. to cut corners, according to prosecutors.

In the spring of 2017, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and No. 121 that Hrynenko owned.

A Morris Adjmi-designed building, which will include 21 condo units as well as ground-floor retail, has quickly gone up on two of the three lots that were 119-123 Second Ave.


[Photo yesterday by Steven]

The property will include a commemorative plaque that honors Figueroa and Locón. In October 2017, city officials unveiled new street blades that co-name the northwest corner of Second Avenue and Seventh Street after the two men.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• [Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street

• How displaced residents are faring after the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Moving on — and feeling lucky — after the 2nd Avenue explosion

• Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

• Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

• LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

• Report: Probation for plumber indicted in deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31

• Trio responsible for the deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison

• Convicted gas explosion landlord Maria Hrynenko out on bail; contractor, plumber remain behind bars

And read our interviews with two longtime residents who lost their homes in the explosion — Mildred Guy and Diane McLean.

More of the explosion site condoplex comes into view at 45 E. 7th St.

Back on Friday, workers removed the construction tarps from the Seventh Street side of the new building on the northwest corner of Second Avenue (thanks to Steven for these photos...)



So now we have better views of this high-profile project at 45 E. Seventh St., which is going up on two of the three lots destroyed during the deadly gas explosion here on March 26, 2015.





Missing to date: the perforated cornice parapet that we saw in the rendering...


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

The Morris Adjmi-designed building will include 21 condo units as well as ground-floor retail. Residential units are one, two and three bedrooms. The Tavivian Team from Douglas Elliman will be responsible for the sales.

You can find all the background about this project and its history at this link.

Another look at the NW corner of 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

Here are two more partial-reveal views of the 7-floor condoplex building on the gas explosion site on Second Avenue at Seventh Street...



This is a follow-up to our post from yesterday morning. You can find all the background about this project and its history at this link.

2nd Avenue gas explosion trial recap

[Image via CBS 2]

A recap from the gas-explosion trial in case you were away this past holiday weekend. The sentencing took place on Friday...

• Trio responsible for the deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison (Friday)

• Convicted gas explosion landlord Maria Hrynenko out on bail; contractor, plumber remain behind bars (Saturday)

Meanwhile, here's a look from Sunday at the new building going up on Second Avenue and Seventh on two of the three lots destroyed on March 26, 2015...



Workers have been quickly erecting the Morris Adjmi-designed building at 119 Second Ave. — officially 45 E. Seventh St. — that will feature 21 condo units and ground-floor retail. The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors victims Nicholas Figueroa and Moises Locón.

We expect the construction tarp to come down soon, revealing ...


[Rendering via Morris Adjmi]

In the spring of 2017, Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and No. 121 that Hrynenko owned.

In a transaction from late 2016, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. that was owned by a different landlord who had no role in the explosion. There isn't any development planned there for now, according to previous reports.

Convicted gas explosion landlord Maria Hrynenko out on bail; contractor, plumber remain behind bars

[Photo from March 26, 2015 via @mesh_mellow]

After yesterday's sentencing of the three people a jury found responsible for the deadly March 2015 Second Avenue gas explosion, the defendants were handcuffed and taken into custody.

However, per published reports, their lawyers said they planned to appeal and were trying to get their clients out on bail.

According to public records, landlord Maria Hrynenko made bail yesterday as she awaits an appeal of the case ...



The other two who were sentenced, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis, remain at the Manhattan Detention Center...





Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus handed down prison sentences of between four and 12 years each — depending on their behavior behind bars — in state prison. The defendants faced a maximum of 5 to 15 years each.

“What the defendants did, in a matter of speaking, was roll the dice with the lives of many people,” Obus told the courtroom. “The results, as we know, are catastrophic.”

However, Obus said that he was giving the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and “did not intend to blow up the building,” as the Post reported.

“It’s not enough. It’s a joke,” Nixon Figeuroa, whose son Nicholas died in the explosion along with Moises Locon, told reporters. “What kind of justice did you give us? You didn’t give us no justice. It’s a slap in my son’s face.”

Kukic was the only defendant to speak to the court yesterday, according to CBS 2.

“He said that he would gladly give up his own life for the lives of the people who lost their lives,” Kukic’s lawyer Marc Agnifilo said.

Here is a breakdown of the convictions via the DA's office:

MARIA HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/26/1959
Rockland, N.Y.

Convicted:

Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Sentenced:

4-to-12 years in prison

ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, D.O.B. 6/15/1956
Queens

Convicted:

Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 2 counts

Sentenced:

4-to-12 years in prison

DILBER KUKIC, D.O.B. 6/9/1975
Bronx

Convicted:

Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Sentenced:

4-to-12 years in prison

[Updated] Trio responsible for the deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion sentenced to 4 to 12 years in prison

[Image via CBS 2]

The three people found guilty in the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion will spend between four and 12 years — depending on their behavior behind bars — in state prison, The New York Times reports.

The sentencing was handed down this morning in State Supreme Court.

This past Nov. 15, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the March 2015 Second Avenue gas explosion that killed two men.

In addition, they were also found guilty of assault charges for injuries to 13 people in the blast that destroyed the buildings at 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Prosecutors said that an illegally installed gas line triggered the explosion.

From the Times:

"What was it that made these three defendants circumvent all the rules they were aware of?" the lead prosecutor, Rachana Pathak, said in her closing remarks. "Money, money, money."

This greed — as the prosecution put it — was responsible for the deaths of Moises Locón, 27 ...



... and Nicholas Figueroa, 23 ...



Updated: 6:30 p.m.

More details from the Post. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Michael Obus handed down the prison time.

“What the defendants did, in a matter of speaking, was roll the dice with the lives of many people,” Obus told a packed courtroom. “The results, as we know, are catastrophic.”

And...

Still, Obus said he was giving the defendants a break on their prison time because they were older and “did not intend to blow up the building.”

Many people (read the comments) felt as if the sentence was too light, Nixon Figeuroa, Nicholas Figueroa’s father had this to say, via CBS 2:

“It’s not enough. It’s a joke. What kind of justice did you give us? You didn’t give us no justice. It’s a slap in my son’s face.”

Below you'll find a selection of EVG headlines about the explosion from the past five years...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• [Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street

• How displaced residents are faring after the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Moving on — and feeling lucky — after the 2nd Avenue explosion

• Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

• Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

• LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

• Report: Probation for plumber indicted in deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31

And read our interviews with two longtime residents who lost their homes in the explosion — Mildred Guy and Diane McLean.

Sentencing expected tomorrow in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion case

[Photo from March 26, 2015 via @NYPDSpecialops]

The three people a jury found guilty in the deadly Second Avenue gas explosion are expected to be sentenced tomorrow (Jan. 17) — one week later than originally reported.

This past Nov. 15, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the March 2015 Second Avenue gas explosion that killed two men.

In addition, they were also found guilty of assault charges for injuries to 13 people in the blast that destroyed the buildings at 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

They each face up to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors said that an illegally installed gas line triggered the explosion.

The sentencing was originally set for Jan. 10, but was pushed back one week for unspecified reasons.

There are still civil actions making their way through the courts. Hrynenko and her companies have reportedly been hit with a handful of lawsuits.

Previously on EV Grieve:
• Details on the guilty verdicts in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion case

Details on the guilty verdicts in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion case

[Image via the DA's office]

On Friday afternoon, a jury found landlord Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses for their role in the March 2015 Second Avenue gas explosion that killed two men.

In addition, they were also found guilty of assault charges for injuries to 13 people in the blast that destroyed the buildings at 119, 121 and 123 Second Ave. between Seventh Street and St. Mark's Place.

Prosecutors said that an illegally installed gas line triggered the explosion.

The three will be sentenced on Jan. 10.

Here is the specific information on the defendants and their convictions via the DA's office:

MARIA HRYNENKO, D.O.B. 11/26/1959
Rockland, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 counts
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

ATHANASIOS “JERRY” IOANNIDIS, D.O.B. 6/15/1956
Queens, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count
• Falsifying Business Records in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 2 counts

DILBER KUKIC, D.O.B. 6/9/1975
Bronx, N.Y.
Convicted:

• Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony, 2 counts
• Assault in the Second Degree, a class D felony, 9 count
• Assault in the Third Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 4 counts
• Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree, a class A misdemeanor, 1 count

Michael Hrynenko Jr. was charged for his role in the scheme, but he died in 2017 before the case went to trial. He was 31.

Hrynenko, Ioannidis and Kukic face up to 15 years in prison on the manslaughter counts, according to the Daily News.

The Times provided the best recap from the two-plus-month trial:

Ms. Hrynenko who had taken over her husband’s housing stock after his death in 2004, hired Dilber Kukic, a general contractor, to renovate apartments at 121 Second Avenue in 2013. By the summer of the following year, Ms. Hrynenko had leased the apartments to 16 people, but Con Edison had not yet approved a new gas line.

Prosecutors said Ms. Hrynenko risked losing tenants and $24,000 in rent per month if she could not provide gas. That is when, prosecutors said, she devised a plan to siphon gas from Sushi Park, a ground-floor restaurant in the building to provide gas to the apartments above.

And...

But, prosecutors said, the explosion in the East Village was the result of something else: a landlord’s greed.

“What was it that made these three defendants circumvent all the rules they were aware of?” the lead prosecutor, Rachana Pathak, said in her closing remarks this week. “Money, money, money.”

And...

Jose Gomez, a cook at Sushi Park, said he had to crawl out from underneath a pile of debris. He said his eyes and ears are permanently damaged. A firefighter who had been injured while responding to the scene was forced to retire because of his injuries.

Randolph Clarke Jr., an assistant Manhattan district attorney, said the defendants “took a chance, they rolled the dice, and the cost was paid for by Mr. Figueroa and Mr. Locon and 13 others.”

In the days after the explosion, prosecutors said, Ms. Hrynenko did not tell investigators about the illegal gas line and she shredded nine garbage bags full of documents pertaining to her real estate business.

The landlord's greed — as the prosecution put it — was responsible for the deaths of these two men: Moises Locón, 27 ...



... and Nicholas Figueroa, 23 ...



Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. provided this statement:

As construction and development continues to boom, today’s guilty verdict puts property owners, contractors, and managers on notice: my Office will pursue criminal charges against those who place expediency and financial gain over life and limb. I thank the jury and the tireless prosecutors in our storied Rackets Bureau for holding these defendants accountable for the tragic and preventable losses of Moises Locon and Nicholas Figueroa.

I also want to thank the Figueroa and Locon families, who demonstrated remarkable strength and resilience through the duration of this trial. While today’s result will not bring these young New Yorkers back, I hope the Figueroa and Locon families take a measure of comfort in knowing that this case will change the way that landlords and contractors do business in New York.

Meanwhile, construction of the condoplex on two of the gas-explosion lots continues. Workers have been quickly erecting the Morris Adjmi-designed building at 119 Second Ave. — officially 45 E. Seventh St. — that will feature 21 condo units and ground-floor retail. The new building will include a commemorative plaque that honors Figueroa and Locón.

Here's a look from Saturday...



Shaky Cohen's Nexus Building Development Group paid $9.15 million for the empty lots at No. 119 and No. 121 that Hrynenko owned.

In a transaction from late 2016, Ezra Wibowo paid $6 million for the adjacent property at 123 Second Ave. that was owned by a different landlord who had no role in the explosion. There isn't any development planned there for now, according to previous reports.

There are still civil actions making their way through the courts. Hrynenko and her companies have reportedly been hit with nearly 30 lawsuits.

---

Below you'll find a selection of EVG headlines about the explosion from the past four-plus years...

Previously on EV Grieve:
• [Updating] Explosion on 2nd Avenue and East 7th Street

• How displaced residents are faring after the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Moving on — and feeling lucky — after the 2nd Avenue explosion

• Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

• RIP Nicholas Figueroa

• RIP Moises Locón

• A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

• Remembering Nicholas and Moises: the Figueroa family marks the 4-year anniversary of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

• LPC OKs condoplex for gas explosion site on 2nd Avenue and 7th Street

• Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

• Report: Probation for plumber indicted in deadly 2nd Avenue gas explosion

• Michael Hrynenko, Jr., awaiting trial for his role in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion, dies at 31

And read our interviews with two longtime residents who lost their homes in the explosion — Mildred Guy and Diane McLean.

Guilty verdicts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial

The owner of a New York building and 2 others were found guilty in a 2015 gas explosion that killed 2 people and leveled half of an East Village block https://t.co/QpOEYfohlx

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 15, 2019

Per the Times:

After more than two months of testimony, a jury in Supreme Court in Manhattan on Friday found [Maria] Hrynenko, a general contractor and an unlicensed plumber guilty of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and related offenses when they installed an illegal gas line, causing the explosion.

Sentencing takes place on Jan. 10.

We will post much more on this case in the days ahead.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father

[Updated] Closing arguments expected to start today in the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial

[Aerial photo of 119-123 2nd Ave. from March 27, 2015]

Closing arguments are expecting to begin today in the Second Avenue gas explosion trial, WABC-7 reports.

The trial, which started on Sept. 9 in Manhattan Supreme Court, was expected to last three months.

Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis are standing trial on a variety of charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the March 2015 explosion at 121 Second Ave. that killed two men and injured nearly two dozen people.

They illegally tampered with the gas line at No. 121, where the restaurant Sushi Park was the retail tenant, then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

"Unbeknownst to the people who were walking down the street, driving down the street, there was a virtual bomb lurking under the East Village," Assistant District Attorney Randolph Clarke said in his opening statement.

The defense has attempted to shift the blame away from the three, putting the responsibility on Con Edison and others.

Here's part of a trial preview from the Times from Sept. 9:

Under New York law, prosecutors will have to prove that Ms. Hrynenko, Mr. Kukic and Mr. Ioannidis were aware that they were acting recklessly, and disregarded the potential risk of death to others. Prosecutors would also have to show that the risks were not something that a reasonable person would have ignored.

“Being aware of a substantial risk would seem to be inconsistent with maintaining their property and obtaining tenants, making it challenging to prove that level of reckless intent,” said Kevin McCarthy, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice who previously worked as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey and an assistant district attorney in Manhattan.

Updated 8 p.m.

Attorneys for the defense made their closing arguments today. Per CBS New York:

Hrynenko’s lawyer said she hired people to do work and knows nothing about an illegal gas line.

Her attorney gave the first closing argument, saying prosecutors are missing evidence, including some piping and the main shut-off valve.

All three defense attorneys have argued the explosion happened in the kitchen of the sushi restaurant on the first floor, not the basement like prosecutors allege.

Family and friends of the defendants packed one side of the courtroom. On the other side were family members of those killed.

“I hope that the jury will decide these people’s fate in the right way, you know, that they all go to jail for what they did,” said Nixon Figueroa, whose son died in the explosion.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father

2nd Avenue gas explosion trial enters 2nd week

[Photo from March 26, 2015 by peter radley]

The Second Avenue gas explosion trial enters its second week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Maria Hrynenko, contractor Dilber Kukic and unlicensed plumber Jerry Ioannidis are standing trial on a variety of charges, including manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the March 2015 explosion at 121 Second Ave. that killed two men and injured nearly two dozen people.

They illegally tampered with the gas line at No. 121, where the restaurant Sushi Park was the retail tenant, then failed to warn those in the building before the blast, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's office. The defense is attempting to shift the blame away from the three, putting the responsibility on Con Edison and others.

The trial is expected to last three months.

An EVG reader, who went to part of the trial last week, shared the courtroom information:

Supreme Court, New York County
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, (1-2 p.m. lunch break)
100 Centre St., Room 1536.
Judge Michael Obus is presiding

And unlike federal court, people can bring in smartphones, computers and books into the courtroom.

Here are a few headlines from the trial last week:

• Jurors see gruesome photos of two men who died in East Village blast (The Post)

• FDNY hero injured fighting 2015 East Village blast: ‘I live in pain’ (The Post)

• East Village gas explosion trial starts; Defense focuses on Con Ed, missing valve (The Villager)

• Video of East Village building explosion aftermath brings landlord on trial to tears (Daily News)

Previously on EV Grieve:
Updated: 2nd Ave. explosion — landlord, 3 others charged with 2nd degree manslaughter; showed 'a blatant and callous disregard for human life'

RIP Nicholas Figueroa

RIP Moises Ismael Locón Yac

A family continues to feel the loss on 2nd Avenue

Exclusive: 2nd Avenue explosion sites have a new owner

Dedicating Moises Locón Way and Nicholas Figueroa Way on 2nd Avenue at 7th Street

Jury selection starts for defendants in 2nd Avenue gas explosion that killed 2 men

Day 1 recap of the 2nd Avenue gas explosion trial; opening statements and emotional testimony from Nicholas Figueroa's father